Blogg Post #107 - Surviving the Sneezing Season

            I know I JUST posted about dealing with a Summer or Fall cold but colds, viruses, or other Upper Respiratory Infections are not the only sources of our “Seasonal Sniffles.” MAYBE you have ALLERGIES. My youngest daughter is 22 years old, and somehow, it was not until THIS year that she began to show signs of seasonal allergies. I had always been told that it took as many as 12 years to develop an allergy, but evidently, it can take even longer than that, depending on the person. As a general “Rule-of-Thumb”, infections are suspected when there is “Color” in your mucus such as yellow, or ESPECIALLY, green. Colds and viruses, generally last only about a week. However, allergies last as long as the particular allergen remains in the air. Obviously, there are OTHER symptoms for “Bacterial” infections that a medical professional could certainly diagnose. If you do, indeed, have an infection, it may be necessary to obtain prescription medications to cure your infection. 

         HOWEVER, EVEN if you’ve never had seasonal allergies before, your sniffles MAY be allergic in nature, and there are a couple of tell-tale signs that telegraph allergies: itchiness with a watery, runny nose, and/or eyes; and/or a “checkerboard” pattern in the Conjunctiva of the eye. Again, if your allergies persist after trying my more “natural or Homeopathic” suggestions, please consult a medical professional.

         Obviously, there are MANY over-the-counter medications available to “treat” the SYMPTOMS of colds, viruses, and even allergies. However, the ideas I’m going to propose do NOT include any types of medications.  Blog Post #106 is all about how I got rid of a late summer cold/virus. I HAVE to take medications for certain medical maladies I struggle with but allergies and colds are not included within that list.

         “Allergy SEASON” USED to be, pretty much, April and May, and then, maybe September and October, for “Environmental” allergies. However, with the climate changes of Global Warming, the “Growing” season for plants, crops, trees, and grasses has expanded to, as early as, February through late in June, then, picking up again in September until mid-to-late October. That is no longer a couple of months, but the greater percentage of the entire year. Add to that “Indoor” allergies such as dust mites, molds, and negative respiratory reactions to paint, insecticides, and/or other household chemicals, and, suddenly, you’re looking at a year-round struggle that can impact your body and spirit on a minute-by-minute basis. Sorry about this, but on top of environmental allergies, you could ALSO have FOOD allergies. Life is just not SIMPLE on ANY level. Below, though, you will find some no-nonsense, practical aids for mild to moderate allergies that won’t COST you anything extra, financially.

         As many of you know, I’ll all about being “PROACTIVE”, which means starting your PREVENTION BEFORE your allergies even show up. Now, obviously, if you’ve never had allergies, it could seem a little NUTS to start making radical changes to your life. But I think you’ll find that the changes I’m endorsing make good sense for anybody. VERY minor alterations to your daily routine could bring about a profound and positive change in your health, and, especially, your health challenges.

         Benjamin Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and that’s what the following suggestions are meant to do to help you stop allergies before they start:

·      “Tweak” Your Wardrobe –

a.   Keep a NEW, “Pollen Mask” (available online or in MOST drug stores, Target, Walmart, etc.) handy, in the event of a telecast, elevated Pollen Count in your area (when you listen to your local Weather Report on the nightly news, it will often include a Pollen Count, and even advise precautionary activities when the Count is high enough to challenge a person’s health). PLEASE prioritize your health over your fashion sense, as this can truly save your life when it comes to allergies.

https://www.achooallergy.com/buying/allergy-asthma-mask-buying-guide/

https://www.achooallergy.com/allergy-masks/

b.   If you’re a singer, wear some kind of SCARF to keep your neck area warm, and protected. This can even be used up over your mouth and nose, if a mask is not immediately available. However, a scarf is NOT as effective as a Pollen mask for deterring or filtering allergens.

c.    Wear “Wrap-Around” sunglasses, which will protect your eyes from airborne allergens effectively.

d.   Be careful NOT to wear clothes unless they have been washed or cleaned since you last wore them outside or around allergens, which may be causing you respiratory or dermatological distress.

·      Keep Constant, CURRENT Tabs on Your Area’s Pollen Counts – Allergens are not necessarily “OBVIOUS”. What I mean is that unless you KNOW EXACTLY what you are allergic to, like Ragweed or Walnut Trees, which you CAN see and avoid, you need to, generally, protect yourself from the “Outdoors”. Pollen Counts can tell you how BAD the allergens are going to be on a given day but they are NOT broken down into specific and different/individual pollens or spores. When it is WINDY, DRY (as opposed to HUMID), and SUNNY, Pollen levels tend to be elevated the most. This website also maintains up-to-the-minute Pollen Counts, as do many television stations in their Weather department: http://www.aaaai.org/global/nab-pollen-counts    This website is also very informative about locating doctors in the Allergy or Immunology fields.

·      Workout Either Indoors or Later in the Day – Depending on WHAT you are allergic to, and HOW allergic you are, working-out Indoors, especially on days when the Pollen Count is high, may be the wisest and EASIEST solution. However, LATE in the day the Pollen Counts are usually the lowest of the day. Therefore, especially if you run or do other aerobic exercises wearing a Pollen Mask, you have a much higher chance of avoiding allergic reactions. It’s also really good to have a “Plan B” for your exercises, in case there is, not only a high Pollen Count, but a Smog Alert, or as some Southern California communities found last week, a grey sky filled with smoke and falling ash from a nearby wildfire. By “Plan B”, I mean buy a good jump rope you can use indoors, a Hoola Hoop that can be a GREAT aerobic workout, or an assortment of exercise workout DVDs. This way, you keep your lungs happy, and take care of your exercise routine, at the same time. The variety doesn’t hurt you either!

·      Clean Up Your Indoor Air – This probably sounds like an expensive, ultra-Yuppie suggestion but you couldn’t be farther from the truth. All I’m advocating is closing tightly all your doors and windows, changing the filters in your heating and air conditioning ducts REGULARLY, and switching “normal” filters for HEPA Filters, which are only a few dollars more. Of course, if you CAN, purchase an Air Purifier, but another option is switching your Air Conditioning to “Recirculated Air”. That way, you’re not pulling in pollen-filled air from outside, but still keeping your indoor air clean and fresh. The HEPA Filters TRAP pollens before they can get into your air, so they’re a “Win Win” scenario.

·      Try a “Fresher” Daily Routine – This may be an unpopular suggestion but rather than taking your daily shower or bath first thing in the morning; SHAMPOO YOUR HAIR AND SHOWER BEFORE BED EVERY NIGHT! This way you don’t, literally, SLEEP with the pollen you’ve accumulated from the day before. It’s even a smart idea to take off whatever clothes you’ve worn outside, to work or workout, shopping, the park or wherever you would encounter pollen in the air, BEFORE YOU GO INTO YOUR BEDROOM. Again, this way, you avoid contaminating your sleep space with pollens you are trying to keep away from. Additionally, just like you need to wash your hair and your body, WASH OUT YOUR SINUSES! Inside your nose are tiny hairs called Cilia, which help filter out pollens; typically, pollens in your nose are what might cause you to sneeze, in the first place. If you use the NeilMed product I raved about in Blog Post #106 before you go to bed, you’ll FEEL fresher, and your lungs will thank you for the LACK of extra pollen they have to expel (http://www.neilmed.com/usa/video.php).  If you don’t have access to a NeilMed, you can use a Neti Pot with a MILD Saline solution. You’re not looking for anything invasive or time-consuming; it’s simply to WASH or rather, RINSE your sinuses, and get rid of any dust and pollens that have managed to get past your body’s defenses.

·      What if I Don’t Have ENVIRONMENTAL ALLERGIES; What Other Kinds of Allergies Could Be Causing Me Problems? – Truthfully, humans CAN be allergic to pretty much anything. Thankfully, MOST of us are only allergic to one, two, or a few things. The BEST way to determine WHAT you’re allergic to, and HOW SERIOUSLY you are allergic is to visit a medical doctor who specializes in allergy DETECTION and PREVENTION or ERADICATION. Personally, I had to take Allergy “Shots” two, different times in my life. The first time, I took Allergy Shots where I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia for 5 years. BUT, then when I moved to Southern California, I had to take injections for another 5 years, because there are different grasses and trees to be allergic to in California than there were in Georgia. OF COURSE, I’d be allergic to things in both places, but I DID get better. To find an Allergist near you, here’s a link to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology: http://allergist.aaaai.org/find/  FOOD allergies can sometimes be the culprit when we struggle with allergic symptoms. Usually, the best way to find Food Allergies is called an “Elimination Diet”, which means, you eliminate ONE food from your diet at a time, and keep a journal of your symptoms. If your symptoms go away, you’ve probably found what you’re allergic to. This can, of course, be a more complicated procedure, but again, an Allergist can guide you best. There are also a couple of foods reputed to help AGAINST allergies.  “Local” Honey (hives located within a few miles of your home) can aid in some outdoor allergies because the bees will have pollinated local plants and flowers, and thus, “carry” antibodies that will help you BUILD YOUR immunity to allergies of those plants. It is, however, difficult to know exactly which plants and flowers the bees go to, so this should NOT be considered a “cure”, by any means. There is also some research that suggests that a “Mediterranean Diet” discourages growth of allergies, and that Probiotics, which can be found, naturally, in “Fermented” foods such as some Yogurts, Sauerkraut, and Miso, dampen or reduce allergy symptoms.

Allergies are DEFINITELY NO FUN! However, like so many things, a little preparation and knowledge can go a LONG way towards making life easier. I hope you enjoy these tips; I’d love to hear your reactions, additional suggestions, or your critiques. I want this to be more of a forum with contributors, so please feel free to add your comments below, or to send them to me. If you have any questions about my lessons or me, check out my website at www.SingitForward.net. As always, thank you for reading the Blog. I hope you’re surviving the summer heat well, and preparing for more great performances and adventures coming soon. Till then, Sing it Forward!